2009 NFL Draft : Wide Receivers That Might Catch On

Darrius Hayward - Bey, WR, 6'2" 210, Maryland = Freakish athlete who is the fastest WR in the draft this year. A premier deep threat who is also willing to go over the middle. Not a good blocker, and needs a lot of work on his pass route running and pass catching ability. A probable first round draft pick.


Hakeem Nicks, WR, 6'1" 212, North Carolina = Has excellent hands and is very strong. Able to make the circus catch. Good blocker who never quits on a play. Could be a big time star in the NFL. Not a burner, but uses his body well. Possible first round draft pick.


Percy Harvin, WR, 5'11" 192, Florida = Strong and athletic. Has good speed and vision. Has teams considering him a RB to use on 3rd downs and kick returns. Tough player very willing to go over the middle. Not built like a typical WR of today, and has had some injury issues. Might be a first round draft pick.


Ramses Barden, WR, 6'6" 226, Cal Poly = Tall kid still learning the game. Has good wing span and strong hands. Did not play much against big time competition, and gets tackled easily. Not too fast or quick, but is a long strider. Worth a late round pick to see if he can help in the red zone because of his height.


Nate Swift, WR, 6'1" 203, Nebraska = Has good hands and runs well after the catch. A decent blocker. Needs to get stronger and more aggressive catching the ball. Flinches over the middle. A second day type of draft prospect.


Quinten Lawrence, WR, 6' 184, McNeese State = Very fast. Missed most of his senior year due an injury that will require checking. Strong for his size, but needs to improve his blocking. Might be a slot WR in the NFL, and be asked to return kicks. Could go anywhere from the third round on.


Kevin Ogletree, WR, 6'1" 196, Virginia = Possible sleeper. Has good hands and uses his body well to separate from defenders. Must get stronger and improve his route running. Not fast, but might be an effective possession receiver at the next level. A second day type of draft selection.


Sammie Stroughter, WR, 5'9" 189, Oregon State = Quick and strong. Runs well with the ball in his hands, and is an excellent kick returner. Has good body control and goes over the middle with toughness. Has concentration issues. Does not have elite speed. May get drafted from the mid-rounds on because of his return skills.


Brian Hartline, WR, 6'2" 195, Ohio State = Runs good routes and has sound hands. Scrappy player who can help on special team coverages. Not very fast or quick. May not get drafted.


Brooks Foster, WR, 6'1" 211, North Carolina = Was a member of the Tarheels 2005 championship basketball team. Has long arms and good agility. Is strong and blocks well. Runs hard after the catch, but is not a burner. Drops too many passes, and has a bad knee that has been troubling him as of late. May not get drafted.


Kenny Britt, WR, 6'3" 21, Rutgers = Has good feet, and runs above average routes. Runs well after the catch with power. Has long arms with big hands. Has steadily moved up the draft board after deciding to go pro after his junior year. Has concentration issues and drops too many balls. Not a burner. Might go in the first round.


Brandon Gibson, WR, 6' 210, Washington = Has good size and strength. Good blocker and is tough. Not a speed burner, and has had moments of dropped passes. Runs good routes and hustles. Will get looked at mid-round on.


Louis Murphy, WR, 6'2" 203, Florida = Fast with long arms. Runs well after the catch. Not a physical player, so is prone to fumbling. Needs to work on his blocking. May get a look on the second day.


Greg Orton, WR, 6'3" 207, Purdue = Possession type who runs good routes and has soft hands. Can block well, and is fearless over the middle. Not fast or quick. Might be able to contribute in the right system. A later rounds type of selection.


Aaron Kelly, WR, 6'5" 204, Clemson = Agile and exceptional leaper. Has decent hands. Has experience returning kicks, but can shy away from contact. Needs to get stronger. Could be a red zone option. May get drafted late.


Lydell Sargeant, WR, 5'9" 190, Penn State = Has good, but not great speed. Has decent hands. Not a great blocker. May get a look as a return specialist. Might not get drafted.


Brennan Marion, WR, 5'11" 187, Tulsa = Very quick player with good vision and hands. Will go over the middle. Not a good blocker. Thin body and must get stronger. Has a knee injury that requires checking. May get drafted late.


Darius Passmore, WR, 6' 188, Marshall = Poised with good speed and understands the intricacies of his position. Has a rare second gear that has NFL teams noticing. Very quick, and runs routes well. Needs to get stronger and improve his blocking. Should be drafted in the first day.


Jerry Maclin, WR, 6' 198, Missouri = Very fast and athletic. Excellent return specialist. Jumps very high and is a good blocker. High energy with maximum effort. Needs to work on his route running. Had a very bad knee injury in 2006 that will be checked by teams. Will get drafted in the first or second rounds.


Jaison Williams, WR, 6'4" 237, Oregon = Has good size and length. Underachiever who does not block well, and has below average hands. Plays lackadaisically. Will have to get a tryout after the draft.


Austin Collie, WR, 6'1" 200, BYU = Faster on the field than he is timed. Quick off the snap, strong, and has good hands. Runs excellent routes, but is not a deep threat. Will have to prove he can step up in the NFL. Might get tabbed late in the draft.


Deon Butler, WR, 5'10" 182, Penn State = Four year starter in college who runs sound routes. Has very good hands. Small frame and without exceptional speed. Not a great blocker. Would be best used in the slot. Might be a late round selection.


Johnny Knox, WR, 6' 185, Abilene Christian = Quick player with excellent hands. Jumps well, and has good moves with the ball in his hands. Has returned kicks. Has good, but not great, speed. Could get stronger in the legs, and work on his ball handling. A hard worker who may be drafted on the second day.


Mohammed Massaquoi, WR, 6'2" 210, Georgia = Long arms and decent speed. Good frame, and can even add more weight. Runs well after the catch, and really matured his senior year. Does not have great hands, and has concentration issues. May not get drafted.


Tiquan Underwood, WR, 6'1" 187, Rutgers = Has good speed, and can get deep. Has good hands, but is not a willing receiver over the middle. Can get jammed easily. Will have to make a team as a kick returner, special teams player, and extra receiver in multiple sets. Might not get drafted.


Jordan Norwood, WR, 5'11" 179, Penn State = A slot receiver type. Has decent speed and hands. Might be able to be an NFL return specialist. Not very strong. Will get looks late in the draft.


Brian Robiskie, WR, 6'3" 209, Ohio State = Son of long time NFL WR/ Coach Terry. Has long arms, good hands, and body control. Is aware of where he is on the field. Has experience returning kicks. Not a burner, and needs to improve his blocking. Plays with a chip on his shoulder, but can lose his temper at times. A mid-rounds on type of prospect.


Kenny McKinley, WR, 6' 189, South Carolina = Quick and runs excellent routes. Has very good hands and runs well with the ball. Not very big, and seems scared to go over the middle. Not a good blocker, and does not posses top end speed. May not get drafted.


Brandon Tate, WR, 6' 183, North Carolina = Quick player who has improved his route running yearly. Has good hands and body control. Adept with the ball on his hands, and is excellent returning kicks. Blew out his ACL and MCL 5 months ago, so his health will be a question. Might not get drafted due to the injury.


Derrick Williams, WR, 6' 194, Penn State = Strong and fast. A good blocker and runs precise routes. Sometimes takes his eye off the ball, and was under utilized in college. Can return punts with sure hands. Will have to prove his can step up to the next level, put has a good character. Will get considered from the mid-rounds on.


Michael Crabtree, WR,6'1" 215, Texas Tech = Two time Biletnikoff Award winner. Has fantastic hands and catches virtually everything thrown in his direction. Smooth route runner who is hard to bring down after the catch. Not a speed merchant, so must stop carrying the ball like a loaf of bread in open spaces. Needs to work on his blocking, but is a team player who does what is needed to win. Should be the first WR drafted, even with his current foot injury.


David Richmond, WR, 6'2" 197, San Jose State = Very raw prospect who is a good athlete. Has only played football four years. Has good body control, and runs well after the catch. Not a burner, but has good speed. Needs to work on every facet of his game. Might not get drafted, but is the kind a team may stash on the developmental squad because of his upside.


Andrew Means, WR, 6'1" 214, Indiana = Good athlete. Runs strong after the catch, but is not a speed merchant. Plays minor league baseball for the Reds. Will have to stick on a roster via special teams. May not get drafted.


Juaquin Iglesias, WR, 6'1" 210, Oklahoma = Solid hands and precise route running with quickness. Has good vision, and runs well with the ball. Tough player who will go over the middle, and has kick return experience. Not a deep threat due to average speed. Might work best in the slot, but his determination makes his upside unknown. A possible first day selection.


Demetrius Byrd, WR, 6' 199, LSU = A flier with a knack for making the circus catch. Has good hands, and is tough enough to go after the ball in crowds. Skinny player who doesn't build up top speed immediately. Not a physical type on the line of scrimmage, and isn't a sound blocker. Needs to improve strength. Will be considered on the second day.


Mike Walker, WR, 6' 199, Mississippi = A project with very good speed. Has experience as a kick returner. Can catch the ball with his body too much, and needs to work on his route running. Has a big upside, so he may help a team down the road. A second day type of draft pick.


Jeremy Childs, WR, 6' 200, Boise State = Has excellent hands and body control. Not afraid to go over the middle and keeps his eye on the ball. Intelligent route runner who is aware of where he is on the field. Not blazing fast, so could add more weight and be a strong possession type. Will get looked at from the third round on.


Patrick Turner, WR, 6'5" 223, USC = Late bloomer who came on in his senior year. Has huge hands and long arms. Runs good routes with decent quickness. Able to get the jump ball. Needs to get stronger in running with the ball, separating from jams, and blocking. Not real fast. Might get drafted on the second day.


Marko Mitchell, WR, 6'4" 218, Nevada = Has long arms and soft hands. Has decent hands, but can drop too many balls. Good blocker, but must get stronger. A project coming from an offense where he wasn't utilized to his full potential. May not get drafted.


Jarrett Dillard, WR, 5'10" 191, Rice = Has very long arms, and is a prototype NFL slot receiver. Has good awareness and is able to find soft spots in the seam. Runs precise routes, but is not a speed merchant. Does not have fantastic hands, but was highly productive in college. Will get looks from the mid-round on.


Manuel Johnson, WR, 5'11" 189, Oklahoma = A leader who runs good pass routes and displays soft hands. Likes to go over the middle, and is a decent blocker. Not exceptionally fast, and needs to add more muscle. Could get a look n the second day.


Dominique Edison, WR, 6'2" 204, Stephen F Austin = Fast player who can jump high to get the ball. Has good hands and body control. Decent blocker who will have to prove he can handle the physicality of the NFL. Will have to add muscle to his lower frame. Will get a look on the second day.


Quan Cosby, WR, 5'9" 196, Texas = A 26 year old rookie who is quick and runs good routes. Leaps very high and has superb body control. Good return specialist who never gives up. Might fit in the NFL best as a slot receiver and special teams player. Could get selected on the drafts second day.


Mike Thomas, WR, 5'9" 195, Arizona = The all time reception leader in Pac-10 history is fast and runs excellent routes. Blessed with great hands and fearless over the middle. Has kick return experience, which he may also do in the pros. A slot WR due to his height. Must improve his concentration on receptions. A first day draft selection type.